Tips and information to help parents support their child’s learning through play
New Year Lockdown – Home Learning
Week Commencing 1st March 2021
On Monday we will be celebrating St David’s day! Here is a document with a bit of information about the celebrations and a few ideas for activities you can be doing at home.
It is also world book day on Thursday 4th March! We will be dressing up and sharing books in school, can you read one of your favourite books and take a picture or dress up as your favourite character? Here is a template of a bookmark which you can decorate, can you make it for someone special and give it to them as a present? There is also a “Book bingo” to help you think of different ways to explore and read your favourite books.
We are continuing to explore music through the decades, this week we are looking at 80’s music. Can you listen to the different songs and choose which ones you like the most?
Why not create some music and have a parade like they do at Carnival? You could use instruments you have at home or you can create some of your own by using muffin tins or saucepans and spoons – try using different tools does it change the sound that it makes? Rice in a bottle makes a great shaker, have you got a box or a container you can turn into a drum? Some party horns also make great sounds and for a simple microphone use a toilet or kitchen roll. You can enjoy playing these instruments, communicating when you want the noise to stop or ask for more if you like it.
Why don’t you make your own mask for the Carnival we have some templates you can use, or you can make your own. Have lots of fun mark making on them using crayons, felt tips or paint or you could even do some cutting and sticking and make a collage mask.
Another popular activity at Carnival is to make different floats and parade them around. Could you junk model a float? – you could use different recycling material such as pop bottles, egg cartons, cardboard boxes etc and have fun sticking them together. Alternatively, you could use things around the house to make a life size float e.g cushions, blankets, the sofa or bed. See if you can decorate it and find a place to sit then you could put on some carnival music and imagine that you are there!
We have a recipe for “Brigadeiro” which is Brazilian Chocolate Truffles! This is a popular dish that people eat when at the Carnival and we think you would enjoy recreating this tasty treat!
Have you got some face paints at home? You could ask an adult to paint your face or maybe an adult is brave enough to let you decorate their face! We have attached a document that gives ideas and tutorials on how to do some designs.
Choose to move – we have made a sheet of actions that you can do to get your body moving to help you to feel good. This can be done inside or out in the garden and you can choose to do as many of the actions as you would like. You could even turn it into a game of “Simon says” can you follow the instruction when an adult shouts it out. Or you could play “copy me” can you copy and adult or sibling who is doing the actions? You could take turns to copy each other. You could even make up your actions we would love to see photos!
This week we are celebrating Chinese New Year as it is on Friday 12th February.
Can you explore this celebration using some resources in your house? You could use some dry rice or even some noodles by: marking making in it, feeling it through your fingers, pouring it out of different containers or even dying it with red food dye? Make a painting using tea bags, can you feel them in your hands and how can you move them differently over the page? Can you share some tea or taste some tea with a family member? Oranges are a good luck symbol; can you squeeze these to make your own orange juice?
Find out some more information about the history of the Chinese New Year celebrations by watching this video:
Can you decorate either a dragon or lion mask to celebrate this? Can you choose different colours to mark make on them or find different materials to stick on?
Pancake day will also be during our half term! Can you have a go at making your own pancakes? What delicious topping concoctions can you make?! You could even make some playdough pancakes and try and flip these in a play frying pan. Can you have a pancake race, how many times can you flip your pancake?
This week we are celebrating mental health week. There are a few different things going on in school and lots of different activities you can do at home. On Friday (5th January) we are having a non-uniform day based around “dress to express” so dress up in your favourite clothes or something that makes you happy! We are going to share a video of pictures of the children doing things that show them expressing themselves. Can you send in a picture that show’s you expressing yourself? This could be through signing, playing with your favourite toy or doing an activity you really enjoy. There is also a theatre zoom session from the stars of the Mamma Mia performance, this will be 30 minutes long and a great chance for you to join to see what your friends are wearing and to have great fun dancing to some music! – you will receive more information about this next week.
The activities for this week include:
Can you choose a feel-good song to listen or dance to? Have a look at which one you would like to choose.
This week we are celebrating Burns night! This is the famous poet Robert Burns’ birthday on the 25th January. Here is a powerpoint that provides some more information about the celebration, some videos to watch and some activity ideas. There are some choosing boards and a menu for the menu activity below as well.
Last week we were exploring the Harbin ice and snow festival. Here is a lovely sensory music video exploring winter. You could see if you can find different soft, white materials around the house, any bells or something to tap on to use as a drum. See if you can lie down and relax to the music.
Makar Sankranti
We are looking at the kite festival in India called “Makar Sankranti”. Can you make a wind sock and make it dance in the wind outside? What could you make your sock out of? Use a toilet roll to decorate and then add ribbon or long pieces of paper or material to stick on to it. Or even decorate an old sock!
Music This week in music we have been looking at 60’s music! There are some links to songs in the document below and a choosing board, can you choose a song to play? Do you like it or don’t like it?
Mountain Fire Festival Another festival we are looking at is the “Mountain fire festival” in Japan. This is called “Yamayaki” and involves setting the mountain on fire and celebrating using fireworks. Here is a powerpoint that explains more about this and gives you some activity ideas.
This week we are looking at the “Makar Sankranti” a kite festival that is held in the North of India. There are different activities in the home learning document including making and decorating your own kite. There is also a story to do with last week’s theme of the ice and snow festival. In cooking we are making recipes from around the world and this week we are making American banana split so have some fun with choosing different toppings. Which one is the tastiest?!
This week we are exploring ice and water as it is the Harbin snow and ice festival in China. Here are some activities you can have a go at doing at home, you may also want to see if you can find any books at home to do with ice or snow!
As part of our space topic we had a go at making balloon rockets. This is an activity that doesn’t take too long to set up but you can incorporate number language by counting down, encourage anticipation and waiting for them to communicate or gesture to “blast off” or go. They may then want to have some fun with the balloon seeing if they can throw and catch it, track it around the room and communicate or gesture that they want more. I hope you have fun and please remember to send photos either to my email or EFL if you do have a go!
As we are talking about aliens this week we wondered if you could have a go at making and exploring your own alien slime. Here are some ideas of different slimes; can you explore the slime? Do you like how it feels? Can you talk about how it feels? Could you hide objects in there and count them as you find them? Can you make marks in it? It is also a great sensory activity!
Space activities Here are a couple of activities with a space theme that you might like to have a go and make. These activities will encourage fine motor skills, exploring textures and enhance imaginative play.
Space Story Here is our new space story! It’s all about an alien. Miss Bottomley is also going to add a video of her reading the book and you can find the link below!
As its a little bit strange and confusing that we are off we have prepared a social story that helps to explain a little bit about why we are off. We have also done a visual timetable for those who are struggling to understand when they can come back to school. It might help to print it off and cross the days off as a bit of a countdown.
As it is Antibullying week we thought it would be nice to share some stories about friendship. Some of these stories are well known and others are new. There is also a new song by “Andy and the Oddsocks”, who support Antibullying week.
Space rock cakes recipe – Here are the ingredients, method and a little video of Mrs Limon making space rock cakes. Have a go yourself and remember to send us a photo!
As part of our space topic we had a go at making balloon rockets. This is an activity that doesn’t take too long to set up but you can incorporate number language by counting down, encourage anticipation and waiting for them to communicate or gesture to “blast off” or go. They may then want to have some fun with the balloon seeing if they can throw and catch it, track it around the room and communicate or gesture that they want more. I hope you have fun and please remember to send photos either to my email or EFL if you do have a go!
Here is the final week of activities before the summer. You have all done amazingly well with your home learning and the Pine class team are so proud of you all, whether you have been in school or working at home. The last week is another food based one! Can you make a picnic that you can share with your family at home in the garden or take to the park! We’d love to see a picture! Here are some activity ideas for you to get involved in at home……
Activities You could have a teddy bears picnic. This might be in the garden, at the park or you might even want to use a pretend tea-set and roleplay at home! Teddy bears picnic – PDF
You could have a go at this cake pop recipe and eat them at your picnic. Cake pop – PDF
After your picnic you might like to go on a scavenger hunt to see what you can find in the garden. Can you find anything that isn’t on the list?
Songs Here are some of our favourite songs of things you might see whilst at your picnic: Picnic songs – PDF
Story Some stories on YouTube for you to enjoy. You might have the actual book at home and could ask an adult to share it with you. You may want a change of scenery and read it in the garden or at the park. Picnic stories – PDF
Week Commencing 13th July 2020
This week your challenge is to write a letter or make a card for someone you haven’t seen in while. Have a look at some of the other activities you can have a go at!
Activities Here are some ideas and activities that can help you with this weeks challenge: Letter Activities – PDF
You might also want to pretend to work in a post office, here are some ideas on how you can create your own post office Post office imaginative play – PDF
Story This weeks story is The Jolly Postman and other peoples letters which can be found on YouTube: The Jolly Postman – PDF
Songs This weeks songs are all songs that we love to listen to in class with a friends theme: Songs about Friends – PDF
Week Commencing 6th July 2020
This weeks whole school challenge is…………… Cook or decorate a cake – Can you make your favourite muffins, cook your favourite cake or decorate your favourite biscuit! Below you will find some activities with a food theme, I hope you enjoy them and manage to send me some pictures before you eat them!
Activities Mug cake – Here is a cake recipe, which doesn’t require many ingredients and doesn’t take very long to make and cook! Mug cake – PDF
Gingerbread Playdough – Instead of making gingerbread biscuits why don’t you have a go at making gingerbread playdough?! Here is a recipe and some ideas of what you could do when you have made your gingerbread playdough. Gingerbread playdough – PDF
Songs All these songs have a food theme – so maybe don’t listen to them unless you have eaten! Food songs – PDF
Story This weeks story is Handa’ s surprise which has instructions to help so that it can be made more sensory! Handa’s Surprise – Video
Week Commencing 29th June 2020
I hope you had lots of fun being outside last week, this weeks whole school challenge is…… Paint or make a self-portrait – Have a look in a mirror and see if you can make a picture of yourself using whatever you have at home.
We also have some activities and ideas below for you to have a go at!
Story Miss Evans is reading the story “I like myself” this week. I Like Myself – Video
Activities Here is a playdough recipe that we use in school and some ideas on making different faces with your playdough, see how creative you can be! Playdough Recipe – PDF Playdough Faces – PDF
Have you got some mirrors in your house? What can you see in your mirror? Can you make a funny face or copy an adults funny face? Mirror play – PDF
Songs Here are some songs about the body that we like in Pine class, hopefully they will get your body moving too! Body Songs – PDF
Week Commencing 22nd June 2020
This weeks whole school challenge is Nature Art – go outside and collect some interesting objects. Can you find stones, leaves and twigs? Use these to make an original piece of art. There are some more ideas for activities involving natural resources and being outdoors and some songs and a story for you to watch. Have a lovely week!
Activities Grass Heads – Have a go at making your own grass head, see how much hair grows and maybe practice your scissor skills if it grows enough! Grass Heads – PDF Grass head symbols – PDF
Bird Feeders – This activity is taken from the Cbeebies website, you could choose one of the bird feeders to make, hang it in your garden and see what birds come to visit! Bird feeder activity – PDF
Songs This weeks songs are nature inspired, have a listen and see which ones you like and don’t like. Nature songs – PDF
Story This week we have the Tale of Christopher Nibbles for you to have a look. This version of the story is on YouTube and uses puppets – I wonder if you can find any dandelions when you go on your walks? Tale of Christopher Nibbles – PDF
There is also the sensory story ‘Wild’, by Emily Hughes. ‘Wild’ tells the story of a girl raised in the forest, who finds life in a house very strange! Enjoy the story, and find the sensory props and activities on the ‘Wild – with notes’ page.
This week’s whole school challenge has the theme Splash! Have fun with water – hopefully the weather is good for this one! Get the paddling pool out, have a water fight or float a boat! Here are some things for you to watch and try at home. Don’t forget to send Miss Evans pictures!
Story
This week Miss Evans is reading the story “row your boat”, I hope you enjoy it, you might even want to make your own boat!
Although some children will be spending more time in school we will continue to put resources and activities onto Pines webpage for you to access. On a weekly basis there will be new activities and resources that may link to the weekly challenge but also activity ideas to do at home and staff will continue to do videos, book readings and zoom calls.
This week’s weekly challenge is: Books and Stories Your challenge is to recreate your favourite book cover – using anything you can find in the house to recreate your favourite book cover.
Please remember to send Miss Evans photos of your activities or upload it on to Evidence for Learning so we can see you taking part in the weekly challenge and website activities!
Story
Miss Evans has found things from around the house to use alongside the story “That’s not my puppy……” Join in with her by watching the story and finding your own props to use. “That’s not my puppy!” – Video
Cooking/Messy play
Gruffalo’s crumble – Here is a recipe to make your very own Gruffalo Crumble. Alternatively, if you didn’t want to cook you could have a messy play version of the crumble with cereal, flour, raisins, bowls, spoons etc Gruffalo Crumble – PDF
Activity
Teddy bears picnic – Find the teddy bears picnic song on Youtube, help to make a picnic, find your favourite teddy and all enjoy a picnic and stories together! Teddy bears picnic – PDF
Barefoot books Here is a list of some of our favourite stories that we listen to in class. Barefoot Books – PDF
If you haven’t already have a go at book bingo which is further down the page!
Lets get out in the garden and make some mud pies! Don’t worry if you haven’t got a mud kitchen in your garden Miss Evans has created some mud kitchen recipes that you can make with things that you might find in your garden or on your walks. There is also a song that you can sing when making your creations. Can you make your own mud pie recipe? Don’t forget to send in your pictures to Miss Evans.
Phonics awareness songs through song and rhyme – These songs will help to build awareness of the alphabet sounds and names, words that rhyme and words that sound the same. A few of the songs will be familiar as we use them in class. I hope you have fun with them.
Rocky Road Method and Ingredients symbols – have a go at making this tasty treat, explore the ingredients, practice your fine motor skills and see what happens when you melt the chocolate
Book Bingo – have a go at book bingo, don’t worry if you don’t have all of the stories you might find the audio version or a story on YouTube. You could read the stories outside, in your den or with an adult and cross it off when you have read it. Don’t forget to send me a picture!
Share books at home or see if Miss Evans has chosen your favourite story to read. There are also stories on other classes pages that you might like too! Noisy Bottoms – Video Book Bear Hunt – Video Book
Songs
Here are some songs that we like to sing in class. See if you can find some props around the house to go with the song! Number Songs – PDF
Activities
Have a go at some of these activities and send some pictures so that Miss Evans can see what you have been up to!
Put on their favourite music, pause it at intervals and wait for communication of ‘more’. Wait for vocalisations, facial expressions, body language, use the symbol board or their communication aids, then start the music and dance again as soon as they have asked for “more”. Use other favourite songs of theirs and have fun! Here are a few of Pines favourite songs:
Here are some new activities for this week, “Mark Making Ideas” (more like trouble!) and some “Number Songs” that you use in class and can now use at home!
I hope this prove useful and keep you busy, at least for a little while!
Check out the following YouTube channel for some exciting videos and daily live streams! “Dough Disco” has some great content that will help keep you and your children entertained through these tough times. They have live “Dough Disco” sessions every day at 9:30am and also a story session at 1pm.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
Third Party Cookies
This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.
Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.
Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!